Description

It takes time and experience to understand the nuances of labor relations, but here’s a start.

If you are a manager who has just been given an assignment that includes labor relations responsibility, or if you are a newly appointed union representative, you may be feeling a bit overwhelmed. It’s easy to make mistakes, and there’s pressure from both sides! This Pocket Guide will help you get your bearings and survive the initial stages of what can be a difficult, but rewarding, line of work. This book will tell you:

Why we have public employee unions

State laws that regulate labor relations

The language of labor relations

What is in the typical contract

How to negotiate and administer labor agreements

How to handle grievances

What to do in arbitration and unfair practice hearings

How to handle agency shop arrangements

How to cope with extraordinary situations (including downsizing and/or restructuring, work actions, and organizing drives).

Offering advice and resources, Pocket Guide to the Basics of Labor Relations includes a section on managing your bargaining team and how best to work with different types of personalities.

Author Rhonda Albey is a principal analyst in the Employee Relations Division of the California Accounting Office, where she has working since 1990, following other budget/administrative positions in her 24-year career. She holds a Ph.D. From UCLA in Education and Management, and has been an instructor in the Undergraduate Management Program at the University of Phoenix since 1996.